Wichita eagle., 1887-08-27
fs- z
A GLANCE AT INDIA.
FACTS ABOUT THE MOST VALUA-
BILE OF THE LIONS POSSESSIONS.

Extent of Great Britain's Asiatic Pos.
sessions-The Governor General and
His Power-Advantages of British Rule.
Caste and Its Results.
Let US glance at India moment and at
tempt to comprehend it in column. Ii
bears some resemblance to that part of South
America south of the Colombian states in
form, and has river system somewhat like
that of South America, but with the addition
Of rivers on the west coast as well IS on the
east. India has 1900 miles of sea coast, il
about /, 900 miles long and 1,700 miles broad.
1t may, therefore, be compared to all the
country betw zen Denver and Boston and be-
tween Duluth and New Orleans. 1t has 200
100000 OF inhabitants, and the British are
extending rather than restricting it, and
have recently annexed Burnah, which is
supposed to afford them an overland connec-
ton with China.
To explain all of this country in its great
number OF states would transcend both my
space and your memory, but we may compre-
bend the way the BE.tish have mastered the
government of this region the more easily.
They have a goveJ uor general, who repre-
sents the queen, and be gets a salary of $685.
600 a year. or two years and half of the
salary of the president of the United States.
Besides, he has large allowance in having
no newspaper press to bark at him. In the
British cabinet he is called the secretary of
state for India, and he has council around
him of fifteen persons, of HON the larger
portion have been ten years living in india
1t is needless to say that they are all British.
Every councillor stays in Office ten years
The laws for all India are made by the gov
ernor general, who lives out in that country
most of the time, and has his own council,
and he appoints the governors of the other
states, except Madras and Bombay, which
are so important that the English politicians
have gobbled up their lieutenant governor
ships
The governor general is a close corporation
He lives at Calcutta, and has only six men in
his council, and the sixth man is the COM
mander of the British army III India The
British keep out there more than 6J,000 men
of British birth and race in arms besides 130.-
900 soldiers recruited from the people of
India. The British do not countenance in any
way interference with their government by
self appointed censors OF critics or agitators
Having taken possession of India to do the
most good for Great Britain, they have ex-
tended to that country nothing but justice,
but they have not given to 1t liberty in the
Jeffersonian sense of making every man the
tribunal for his own grievance. The British
government is stern, and particularly stern
with the high native princes, compelling
them to come up with their taxation and
revenue. The chief advantage the British
hax no hnr1ac If Ind; -, - a. -.
uniform justice which they make portion
of their policy, which is SO much superior to
native justice that the natives do not desire
to return to the despotic condition of their
forefathers Besides, the British are stern
military rulers, and have no sentiment in
favor of disorderly persons.
You might ask the question and easily
answer it, as to what official was the most
important in each of the British districts of
India. OF course he is the collector. In
order that he shall collect well he is also q
magistrate. He has from 100000 to 1.OOO,-
600 Of people under him, and his powers are
absolute He holds a tribunal and admins
ters sentences while he EFFORTS money. He
has little band Of deputies and assistants
around him, both British and native. Subor-
dinate to him is district judge, who hears
what few appeals are permitted. At the
great cities are special tribunals to hear ap-
peals, but not many appeals from the natives
The British population in India, which is
merely of the mercantile class, existing there
for the purpose of saving riches, looks with
stern eye upon the government of their own
people, and has refused on occasion to carry
into existence laws passed in the Gadstonian
spirit of sentiment and equality. To this day
a Briton in India belongs to the highest caste
in every respect; he will not submit to be
judged by judges made of the native people.
Ii his government undertakes to compel him
to acquiescence in its sentimental laws he does
like the Spanish volunteers in Cuba-threat-
ems to revolutiOniZe India itself and make Of
it another Australia or Canada
Nearly 300,000,0 900 of people in India have
been subjected to a small foreign domination
for about two centuries. Noman having any
human interest in any other man of different
caste, the foreigner has insinuated himself be-
tween these castles and has got the nation
down and is tearing out its pocket book.
Like the more favored nations, the people of
India live in towns and villages, and this basis
Of town government has survived all sorts Of
revolutions Local self government has never
keep up their police, have judges of the peace.
repair the roads and maintain worship. The
people work very hard with most inferior i'm
Elements, and that is why they have never yet
done much with the United States, which
works with both its brain and its hands
India has long maintained a great COM
merce, because its products are in use by all
the favored nations, Our opium eaters and
morphine folks look to India for supplies.
Coffee and rice stand high in the category.
They are now developing both in the fields of
wheat and cotton. India, indeed, sends out
the raw material and the food to the British.
who return their manufactures to it. They
give them 5000. 900 worth Of cotton goods
every year; $4,000 coo worth of machinery:
SIS, 100000 worth of iron goods; $1,000. 900
worth of wines and liquors; SOC, 900 worth
Of gold and silver made up.-"Gath" in Gin
cinnati Enquirer.